5 Most Heartwarming Moments of 2014

Country music is the music of real life, and nothing underscores that fact like some of the shared experiences we all have because of the music.

It can bring people people together for a common cause, make us laugh or make us cry, and that's a big part of why country fans are the most passionate and devoted fans in the world. 2014 saw some of the biggest stars in country music taking the time to make some irreplaceable memories for some very special fans.

There are some really sweet gestures, some powerful messages of hope and some heart-wrenching moments that left us in tears among the most heartwarming moments of 2014.

Tim McGraw made one disbelieving young fan's life a whole lot brighter during a concert in Atlanta in July. The country superstar was performing an acoustic version of 'You Are So Beautiful' for his wife, Faith Hill, and their daughters when a young female fan was invited onstage. The unflappable McGraw began singing the song directly to the girl, who smiled, swayed and laughed as he made the song about her, much to the delight of the crowd. At the end of the performance, he signed his acoustic guitar and gave it to her as a memento of their unforgettably special moment.

A Taylor Swift fan in Connecticut got the surprise of a lifetime when the superstar showed up on her doorstep unannounced, bearing gifts. Stephanie Barnett connected with Swift years ago via social media, and says Swift’s music helped her get through a difficult time when she was having trouble conceiving. Now the mother of a 2-year-old son, she went to answer her door in November and found Swift with a bunch of toys she had bought for her little boy. Swift spent several hours with Barnett and her son, which Barnett said was "incredible."

Jake Owen made a tough period a lot happier for a 6-year-old girl during a concert in Tupelo, Miss. in September. Ava Schipke is his biggest fan, and she had been recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, as well as dealing with her parents' divorce. First Owen called her to wish her a Happy Birthday, and then he brought her up onstage to sing and play the drums and even gave her a drumstick. “There’s no way any concert will ever compare to that experience for her,” her mom revealed. "She even took her drumstick to school to show her friends!"

A very determined Garth Brooks fan got more than her money's worth at a concert in Minneapolis in November. Teresa Shaw of Osage, Iowa was at the show, holding a sign that read, “Chemo this morning, Garth tonight … Enjoying ‘The Dance.’” Brooks sang 'The Dance' to her, stopped and kissed her forehead and gave her his guitar, but he wasn't done. The singer stood up and proclaimed to the crowd, “God just stuck his hand out and wrote ‘I exist.’ You have all my strength, you have everybody’s strength in here and you will kick cancer’s a–!”

Miranda Lambert seems tough on the outside, but she showed her softer side at a concert in Texas in September. She was singing 'Over You' onstage when she saw a 7-year-old girl on the audience, wearing a pink cowboy hat and a mask to keep her from catching germs. The girl's name is Brooke Hester, and she's been battling Stage IV Neuroblastoma cancer since 2010. Lambert bent down, grabbed her hand and sang to her, but it wasn't long before she was completely overcome with emotion, bursting into tears while the audience continued to sing to the brave girl. We still can't get through this video without tears, making it the most touching moment of 2014 -- and evidently a lot of people agree, since the video has received more than 1.5 million views on YouTube.

What Was the Most Heartwarming Moment of 2014?

We're still trying to hold it in just from re-visiting all of those touching videos, but did we overlook another heartwarming moment that you think was even more important? Let us know in the comments section below.